Reclaimed Creations
Media, PA
Website

As a student of The School in Rose Valley, which is steeped in the ethos of the Arts and Crafts Movement, I learned the joy of creating functional beauty for use in daily life. Through my biologist father I learned to celebrate the interconnectedness of all things and to treasure nature. These values inspire my art and my life.

I construct wearable art from reclaimed wool sweaters. The hats, mittens and scarves are stained glass windows of color, texture and 3-dimensional accents. I serge, topstitch and hand finish all seams and attach all ornaments by hand. Each item is fully lined in fleece, which curls around the bottom edge to frame the face and to protect the wearer’s skin from the wool. A hand made flower or pompom, two buttons, glass beads and an adjusting ribbon with a stopper complete all the hats. I wrap the pompoms on a modified 600 lb. metal lathe from the 1950’s, tie them off on two jigs I’ve made and then hand trim them to size. By repurposing something as familiar as a sweater into a warm and whimsical hat or a pair of toasty mittens, my work provokes puzzled smiles, the urge to reach out to touch and then chuckles of recognition.